We all eventually face barriers of some kind. These barriers can be personal or professional, and often concern both ourselves and the families and communities we come from. Our latest crowdfunding picks explore the breaking of barriers and boundaries placed on people and even places — challenging dominant narratives surrounding Black cities, depicting the journey of a woman whose dreams of being an astronaut are shattered by a diagnosis, and amplifying the voice of the only Native cartoonist with a daily cartoon in a mainstream newspaper.
In Natalie LaValley’s “Telos,” the protagonist’s acceptance as an astronaut candidate is disrupted when she develops rheumatoid arthritis, and is thus disqualified from flight in space. Instead, she takes an offer to work on a NASA program to send a probe to one of Jupiter’s moons, and despite her initial reluctance and disappointment, she soon finds her true passion in discovering new frontiers.
“The Kinloch Doc,” directed by Alana Woodson, explores the rich story of Kinloch, Missouri’s first Black city, as well as the oldest all-Black city west of the Mississippi.
“Ricardo Caté: Without Reservations” follows Ricardo Caté, whose work in the Santa Fe New Mexican makes him the only Native cartoonist to feature regularly in an influential daily newspaper. His cartoon, “Without Reservations,” dispenses humor, advice, and a method of helping everyone through difficult — and hectic — times.
Here are Women and Hollywood’s latest women-created and women-centric crowdfunding picks.
“Telos” (Short) – Directed by Natalie LaValley
When an autoimmune disorder prevents Danika from becoming an astronaut for the space program and joining her mentor on the space station, she’s far from thrilled. Reluctantly, she begins work on NASA’s Telos mission, which aims to send a probe to Ganymede, Jupiter’s largest moon. But Danika has always been a drone pilot and designer, loving to tinker with her homemade drone in her spare time. With a reminder from her mentor that her passion has always been discovery, Danika designs a probe that goes further than any space ship could take her.
“Telos” means the ultimate object or aim, end, or purpose. On the project’s campaign page, director Natalie LaValley explains, “I believe space connects everyone, not just science nerds. Every human being, when they see images of space and pause to take it in, can’t help experiencing awe. Inevitably it becomes a bit existential: we’re all connected by the realization of our smallness and search for meaning.” She says, “This film is about a woman who finds purpose for herself, even after losing her dream. While writing the script, I realized I must have been influenced by watching my brother’s journey: he got rheumatoid arthritis at age 21, and despite setback after setback, he’s never stopped creating meaning for himself. This film is for him, and for all those searching for their telos.”
“Telos” features a diverse cast of women and characters with disabilities and places emphasis on women in STEM fields. It is crowdfunding for sound, food, location costs, and production design, and is also supported by the Skye McCole Bartusiak Foundation and the Houston Arts Alliance.
Help make “Telos” a reality by donating via Seed&Spark.
“The Kinloch Doc” (Documentary) – Directed by Alana Woodson
Today, the town of Kinloch, Missouri, seems to be barely scraping by — as it struggles with bankruptcy and corruption, less than 200 residents remain. But Kinloch was once a prosperous community; a thriving all-American Black city, home to a multitude of incredible achievements, from the oldest continuing Black parish in the St. Louis Archdiocese to the election of the first Black superintendent in Missouri. In 2016, director Alana Woodson — whose family was one of the many who left Kinloch — was challenged by a friend to document the the story and people of Kinloch. She and her team spent over three and a half years filming interviews and footage, with the goal of revealing the truth about the city as well as unveiling a national trend of rapidly-vanishing Black cities.
“The Kinloch Doc” tells an essential story of a neglected and misrepresented city with a full, rich history. “Kinloch has great historical value — it was Missouri’s First Black City and one of the largest all Black cities in America during its prime — and seeing the little that is left of Kinloch dwindle away while a one-sided story goes into the history books is heartbreaking,” the documentary’s campaign page details. “It is imperative for the story of this town to be told while there is still something tangible left to grasp, while there are still homes with native residents living in them, and while the name Kinloch is still on the map.”
The filming of the documentary is almost complete, and a sold-out rough cut screening at the Missouri History museum showcased that it has an eager and interested audience. It is crowdfunding for post-production and distribution costs, such as video editing, sound, and festival entry fees. “The Kinloch Doc” also serves as the first film in an upcoming series about gentrified, neglected, and misrepresented Black cities across the United States; after work on it comes to a close, pre-production will commence on the remaining films, which will cover cities such as Seneca Village in New York and Greenwood in Oklahoma.
You can help fund “The Kinloch Doc” by donating to its Kickstarter campaign.
“Ricardo Caté: Without Reservations” (Short Documentary) – Directed by Kaela Waldstein
Ricardo Caté is a Native cartoonist, whose work in the Santa Fe New Mexican — titled “Without Reservations” — utilizes humor to address topics that people can feel uncomfortable focusing on; particularly the issues that Native people and communities face. Through and alongside his art, Caté has a ton to say about how laughter can be used to deliver much-needed commentary and activism, how individualism and Native traditions can work alongside each other, and how personal obstacles can be overcome so that artists can put their voices into the world.
“There is nothing that I love more than creating documentaries on artists, to delve into what drives and inspires them, to help elevate their personal stories in a way that does justice to who they are and their craft,” the project’s director, Kaela Waldstein, says via its Indiegogo campaign page.
“Ricardo Caté: Without Reservations” is crowdfunding primarily for editing, shooting, original music, sound mixing, travel costs, festival submission fees, and licensing and insurance.
Find out how to help “Ricardo Caté: Without Reservations” by visiting its Indiegogo campaign.
To be considered for Women and Hollywood’s biweekly crowdfunding feature, please write to waheditorialfellows@gmail.com. All formats (features, shorts, web series, etc.) are welcome. Projects must be by and/or about women.
